


Portraits

by Lonespark_the_friendly_kraken



Series: Troth [5]
Category: The Dragon Prince
Genre: Alternate Universe - Everyone Lives/Nobody Dies, Fanart, Fluff, Hugs, Kissing, Multi, OT3
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-08-15
Updated: 2019-08-15
Packaged: 2020-08-23 21:46:45
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,253
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20233771
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lonespark_the_friendly_kraken/pseuds/Lonespark_the_friendly_kraken
Summary: portraits & legacies





	Portraits

**Author's Note:**

> A million thanks to For the Love of Baldur (@baldurs_rambles) for the beautiful painting,  
RoseGoldSiren (@rosegoldsiren_h on twitter) for the OT3 emblem, and  
artaline for patient beta reading

After breakfast Viren brought his children to walk the hallway in Katolis Castle lined with paintings of those who had held the position of High Mage throughout the centuries. Claudia was fascinated by his stories about the historical figures, having read many biographies, as well as some of the mages' own works. Soren listened with rapt attention on the few occasions when Viren had a particularly thrilling anecdote to recount, embellished with a few magical effects. The rest of the time he ran up and down the hall brandishing his practice sword at imaginary elves, dragons, and rogue mages, but staying safely away from the priceless art.

The last portrait in the gallery was the very first High Mage, the legendary and inimitable Ziyali.

Soren peered up at the image of the ancient mage. Dark waist-length hair cascaded down over their bare, tattooed arms and shoulders, and robes far more revealing than anything the royal court had permitted for centuries. They wore a defiant smirk and their eyes the shade of storm clouds were lit by an intense gleam. "They look kinda... crazy."

"I believe they would take that as a compliment."

Viren always felt like the painting was challenging him. Had he defied enough expectations to deserve this legacy? Were his ideas groundbreaking enough? Would his effect on the nation's fate loom large enough centuries hence? He would try his best and history would judge the result.

"According to the family records, they're one of my distant ancestors, and therefore yours as well."

"Wow!" Claudia clearly found that information inspiring. “I can add them to my family tree project!” Then she frowned. "Wait, but… none of the books I read talked about them having kids. And they never married, so, how do we know this?”

"There are family records and artifacts I haven’t shown you yet. It might be time… Many details from that time are lost to history. And in the case of Ziyali and their apprentices and heirs, there's some evidence they intentionally obscured facts and encouraged conflicting accounts and legends. We know they also built secret chambers and passages, and hid books and artifacts deep within mazes and caverns. Some mysteries remain unrevealed to this day."

On another side of the castle, in another hallway, King Harrow and Queen Sarai had brought the princes for a similar portrait tour, though lacking in any magical theatrics. They had reached the last royal portrait, depicting the king Ziyali served.

King Siskan was an imposing man, seated on a massive throne with both his queens on his lap. The women were holding hands and everyone wore broad, slightly mischievous smiles.

Callum pointed at the painting.

"I learned they had twelve kids! I think a bunch of them were twins..."

"Wow," Ezran chirped, "That is a lot of siblings to play with! Do you think they had a lot of pets, too?"

"Probably. Then they grew up and built a ton of stuff that's still around. Like most of the castle. And all those fancy bridges and aqueducts we saw when we went to visit grandpa. I drew a bunch of them in my sketchbook, wanna see?"

"Sure. But you should put more animals in them."

"That's actually a good idea, for scale. Here, I'll draw Bait patrolling the top of this tower. And Pip taking a bath in this fountain."

The royal portrait gallery ended at a large, high-ceilinged room with walls of rough-hewn, massive stones. The boys ensconced themselves on the carpet in the far corner, below the largest, and oldest, portrait in the entire castle, and the only one depicting a mage and royalty together.

It was a portrait of the first monarchs, from the days before the towers rose, when the nation lacked firm borders, and war with the dragons was an ever-present threat. Peace Queen Octavia, War Queen Alaya and Mage Consort Daiyan were known as The Blessed Three.

The gallery of mage portraits met the room on the other side, and Viren’s family had just made their way to the end. Upon spotting the princes, Claudia and Soren raced toward their friends, and all of them began clamoring to head off on a joint adventure.

Queen Sarai agreed to take them for a hike and a picnic if they would quickly get dressed for outdoors and pack any equipment they might need.

"Like swords!" Soren declared.

His father raised a skeptical eyebrow, but Sarai just laughed and promised to spar with him. Soren beamed at her, and the unruly pack of children trotted away, leaving the adults to relish the calm and quiet left in their wake.

Once the commotion of excited children faded into the distance, the adults pondered the portrait.

Viren mused, “They aren't depicted as especially joyful, even though they're remembered as being so happily in love."

"They don't look unhappy... And as we all know, from personal experience, posing for portraits can be a grueling test of endurance." Harrow chuckled. "I think I wore out my smile muscles for at least a week."

Viren was only half-listening, examining the portrait with rapt attention. "There's so much depth and symbolism in the colors and details," he murmured. "I notice something new every time I look."

"I love the expression on Alaya's face," Sarai mused. "So strong and fierce."

"There is truly nothing better than a strong, fierce, warrior queen," Harrow agreed, kissing the corner of her eyebrow, and wrapping his arm around her waist.

Alaya had needed to be everything for her son, and for her kingdom. How much had it cost her to be strong, or wise, or gentle, or bold, or patient, as needed, while she raised a child and built a kingdom? To endure so many years, grieving her lost loves, holding onto their memories, keeping them alive for the child they had cherished and the kingdom they left him...

Sarai found inspiration in that legacy, but there were parts she hoped she would have no chance to live up to.

Daiyan was a dancer. His magic was interwoven with tradition, creativity, improvisation, and balance, in ways that were long forgotten in Katolis. He had always learned and practiced dark magic, along with other kinds. But he had never used it in battle... until he had. Until nothing else could show the dragons the vengeance they had earned.

Viren envied that power, and hoped he could also gain the wisdom to discern when it should be used.

"The painter captured a sense of movement in depicting Daiyan. That sense of balance is something I strive for... I can’t find it alone."

"You don't have to." Harrow kissed his cheek, holding him close for a long moment before pulling away. "None of this has ever been easy, but we can find our way, together."

Harrow thought about Octavia often, this mighty queen, his mother's namesake. She forged this kingdom, made possible all the glory and history of the land and the throne where he now sat. Not alone, but with her queen and her mage always at her side.

His queen and his mage were beside him now, and he drew them closer, wrapping an arm tightly around each of them. They embraced him in turn. Harrow leaned his head against Viren’s, and Viren turned so that their foreheads pressed together. Sarai rested her head on Harrow's shoulder, and reached across him to take Viren's hand and link their fingers.

This bond was a kind of magic, a strength like no other.


End file.
